The Walking Dead: Miles Behind Us

By Alex De-Gruchy
May 17, 2006

Robert Kirkman's ongoing zombie saga continues in this second volume of the hit black-and-white series. The rag-tag group of survivors from volume one struggle on, trying to survive in a world where the dead have risen and life as they once knew it is over. Replacing original artist Tony Moore, Kirkman is joined by penciller/inker Charlie Adlard, as new characters are introduced, secrets come to light and the undead menace continues to loom over the survivors. Readers are also treated to an afterword by Shaun of the Dead himself, Simon Pegg.

Plot

Miles Behind Us begins soon after the shocking conclusion to the first volume, Days Gone Bye, in which our main character, Rick, was almost murdered by his best friend Shane. However, Carl, Rick's son, intervened and shot and killed Shane to end the volume. This installment opens with a flashback between Shane and Lori (Rick's wife), who previously had sex just before Lori discovered that her husband was still alive - a secret that Rick is still unaware of. This is a good example of the human drama and complex relationships which Robert Kirkman established in the first volume, and something which the series has become known for.

The main driving force behind this series remains the same in this volume - Rick, his family and the other survivors have formed a small community, and are still trying to survive in this dangerous new world. After recent events, they realize their temporary camp isn't safe anymore, and are forced to hit the road in search of shelter and safety. Along the way they meet several new faces who join the group, and these new additions waste no time in bringing their own relationships and personalities into the mix. Despite the old saying about strength in numbers, one of the original cast members meets a grisly end. Lori also delivers her own bombshell which threatens to have severe repercussions down the line. With all of these troubles, the survivors come to learn that finding somewhere safe is much harder than they thought, and perhaps no such place exists anymore.

Characterisation

Kirkman continues what he established in the first volume in terms of the realism and depth of the characters, as each has their own unique traits which individualize them as people and not just potential zombie food. Despite Shane's attempted murder of Rick at the end of volume one, the survivors are still working and living together as they hit the road. Relationships and character situations become more complicated, as Lori announces big news, Dale and Andrea become romantically involved, and sexual tension blossoms between Carol and a new addition to the group, Tyreese.

Tyreese joins the group when Rick encounters him, his teenage daughter, Julie and her boyfriend, Chris. Tyreese and Rick soon become friends, and although Julie and Chris fit in well enough, they are keeping a secret with sinister overtones for the rest of the survivors. In addition, the group expands with Hershel, a middle-aged man who lived on a farm with his family. As all of these characters interact, Kirkman shows his expertise with writing natural and believable dialogue, whether it is between friends or strangers. He also continues to further develop his characters and their relationships, creating more and more layers. And remember, if you do find yourself a little overwhelmed by all of the talking heads, there's always a few zombies around the corner to simplify things with a swift "Hmmgg!" or "Gub."

Art

There is a changing of the guard in terms of the artwork as Charlie Adlard takes over from previous artist Tony Moore on pencils and inks. Although Adlard's style is certainly different to that of Moore, the transition isn't too jarring for the readers who have stayed onboard after Days Gone Bye. However, what separates Adlard from Moore is that his style is more jagged, with a greater use of thick black inks. The realism of the story and its characters certainly come through in Adlard's work, with his use of body language and facial expressions coming across well throughout the course of the whole story, even during the more sedate, dialogue-heavy scenes.

The only complaint that could be levelled against the art is that it is sometimes hard to distinguish certain characters from one another, as they can sometimes appear very similar - something which isn't helped by the fact that the book is all in black-and-white. To be fair however, this only happens around the halfway-point of the book when the survivors come across Hershel's farm - with all of these characters suddenly in one place, some scenes can seem a little confusing.

Overall

Miles Behind Us acts as a good continuation of the events that took place in the first volume, Days Gone Bye. If you read and enjoyed that, then this second chapter will not disappoint. Kirkman develops the relationships between the existing characters while adding more layers of depth to these individuals and making them seem more and more like real people, which adds a great deal to the atmosphere and tension of the story. At the same time, new characters are introduced who mix well with the original cast. Original artist Tony Moore did an excellent job in bringing the book to life, and although Adlard still seems to be finding his feet a little here, the artwork still suits the story and never really detracts from it. If you're new to The Walking Dead, then Miles Behind Us probably isn't the best place to start, as many elements of the human drama and character relationships were initially established in the first volume. However, if you've already devoured that, then consider this another entertaining chapter in this ongoing saga of the living and the undead.

Publisher: Image Comics
Writing: Robert Kirkman
Pencils & Inks: Charlie Adlard
Gray Tones: Cliff Rathburn
Collects The Walking Dead Issues #7-12